Keyboard mechanism for telegraph apparatus



Jan. 22, 1935. R. G. GRIFFITH 1,983,943

KEYBOARD MECHANISM FOR TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Filed March 25, 1934 Fig. 2.

Romy: @fR/FF/ 17 1 77' 7 ORA E Y 21 in live link members 3, theright-hand ends of which are pivotally connected to transfer members '7of a mechanical relay movement 6 of any suitable kind for operating thesignalling mechanism. Only one link member 3 is illustrated in thedrawingbut it will be understood that five suchmemberscooperate'with thecradle 4, one being provided for each pair of permutation bars.

From the lower left-hand ends of the link members 3 two projections 24,'22 extend :in opposite directions, one of such projections 24 being ona slightly higher level than the other 22. These projections 24, 22cooperate respectively with slots 23 formed in the right-hand ends of apair of bars such as l, 2. The slots 23, which are formed in the upperedge of one bar and the lower edge of the other bar of a pair, haveinclined sides as shown in Fig. 2. L

In the normal undepressed condition of the shift key-9 theleft-hand sideof the cradle 4 is in its elevated position and the left-hand ends ofthe link members :3 are raised by the rod' 14. The projections'24aretherefore engaged in the slots 23 in the rear permutation bar of eachpair. When the shift key is depressed, however,

the left-hand'ends of the members 3 are lowered by the cradle 4 and rod14, and the projections 22 are engaged in slots 23 in the frontpermutation bar of each pair. 1

The depression-of a signal key-lever l2 sets the five pairs ofpermutation bars. In the case of key-levers the labelsof which bear twocharacters or symbols, the cam notches on the bars are so arranged thattwo different combinations are set up on the two sets of five bars, onefor the character or symbol in the lower case position on the key labeland the other for the character or symbol in the upper case position onthe key lever. The shift key 9 is used to determine which of the twocombinations set up shall be transferred through the link members 3 tothe mechanical relay mechanism. In accordance with the depressed or.raised condition of the left-hand side of the cradle 4 and the left-handends of the link members 3, one or other set of projections 22 or 24respectively is engaged in the slots 23 of that setaof permutation barsthe transverse movements of which it is required to impart to the linkmembers'B. .In the case of keylevers the labels of which bear only onecharacter or symbol, the cam notches on the permutation bars are soarranged that the same combination is setup on both sets of five bars.

The specially shaped slots 23 in the righthand ends ofthe permutationbars arenecessary since the bars themselves remain in the position inwhich they are set and as the operationof theshift key 9 may involve achange of combination it .must therefore be possible for the projections24, 22 on the link members 3 to cam the bars'or linkmembersintopositions in which the projections 24, 22, engage in the bottom of theslots 23.

';The invention is particularly applicable to keyboard mechanismeofwthe.kind described in my prior Patent 1,921,407 since in combination withthe means there described for automatically inserting case shiftsignal;combinations it enables a very close approximationto the standardtypewriter keyboard layout to be realized, whilst still'adheringto thestandardfive-unit code. In

the standard typewriter keyboard layout the letter characters are eachallotted separate keylevers in the .lower three .rows vofqkeys whilstfigures and symbols are placed in the lower and upper case positions onthe labels of the top row of keys. In the present instance using astandard five-unit code, however, the figures and symbols are allotteddifferent combinations in the samecase group and under certaincircumstances certain of the letter characters may be allotted similarcombinations in different case groups. In the arrangement according tothe present invention the depression of a key on which figures andsymbols appear causes two combinations corresponding to the codes forthe figure and the symbol to be set up on the five pairs of permutationbars Whilst the position of the shift key determines which combinationis utilized. When a letter key is actuated the same combination-is setup on both sets of five permutation bars the case group being otherwisedetermined. When the invention is applied to the keyboard mechanismdescribed in my prior Patent No. 1,921,407 each key-lever is adapted toactuate a special case determining bar which causes a case shift orunshift combination to be automatically inserted in the manner describedin the prior patent referred to whenever a change of case is requiredand irrespective of whether a figures and symbols key or letters key hasbeen actuated.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseembodiment described and numerous modifications coming within the scopeof the appended claims will occur to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a keyboard mechanism for telegraph apparatus, a signal key-lever,two sets of permutation members for actuation under the control of saidsignal key-lever but each in accordance with a difierent codecombination, control mechanism and means for operatively associatingeither of said sets of permutation members with said control mechanism.

2. In a keyboard mechanism for telegraph apparatus, a signal key-lever,two sets of permutation bars each set adapted to be actuatedsimultaneously in accordance with a difierent code signal combinationupon depression of said signal key-lever, signal transmitting mechanismcom- ,mon to both said sets of permutation bars and means forselectively rendering either of the set up signal combinations effectivefor the control .of said signal transmitting mechanism.

3. A keyboard mechanism for telegraph apparatus comprising asignalkey-lever, a plurality of sets of permutation members adapted to be setin accordance with a plurality of different signal combinations upon theactuation of said signal key-lever, signal control mechanism, and vmeansfor operatively associating a selected one adapted to actuate both saidpermutation members, a mechanical relay movement, a link member forcontrolling said mechanical relay movement, and means for operativelyassociating said .link member with eitherof said permutation .members.

5. Ina keyboard mechanism for telegraph apparatus, a signal key, meansfor setting up two ,,diiferent signal, code combinations upon actuationof said signal key, and means for selectively determining which of saidsignal code combinations shall be transmitted.

6. In a keyboard mechanism for telegraph apparatus, a signal key, meansfor setting up two different signal code combinations upon actuation ofsaid signal key, a supplementary key, and means for transmitting one orother of said signal code combinations in accordance with thenonactuated or actuated condition of said supplementary key.

7. A keyboard mechanism for telegraph apparatus comprising a signalkey-lever, two sets of permutation bars, means for setting said two setsof permutation bars each in accordance with a different signal codecombination upon depression of said signal key-lever, a supplementarykey-lever, signal control mechanism, and means for operativelyassociating one or other of said sets of permutation bars with saidsignal control mechanism in accordance with the non-actuated or actuatedcondition of said supplementary keylever.

8. In a keyboard mechanism for telegraph apparatus, a pair ofpermutation members and a link member and a mechanical relay movementfor each signal element of the code combination, a supplementarykey-lever, and means under control of said supplementary key-lever foroperatively associating said link members with either of the permutationmembers of the respective pairs.

9. In a keyboard mechanism for telegraph apparatus, a signal key-lever,a pair of permutation bars adapted to be given a sliding movement upondepression of said signal key-lever, a mechanical relay device, a linkmember for controlling said mechanical relay device, a supplementarykeylever, and a pivoted member adapted for actuation by saidsupplementary key-lever to associate said link member with either ofsaid permutation bars whereby said link member is caused to partake ofthe movement of a selected one of said permutation bars and control saidmechanical relay device.

10. A keyboard mechanism for telegraph ape paratus comprising a signalkey-lever, two sets of longitudinally slidable permutation bars adaptedto be set to diflerent code combinations upon depression of said signalkey-lever, a link member for each pair of permutation bars adapted tocontrol signal transmitting mechanism, a supplementary key-lever, and apivoted cradle adapted to be rocked upon the actuation of saidsupplementary key-lever and thereby to bring said link members under thecontrol of one or other of said sets of permutation members.

11. A keyboard mechanism for telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 10in which said link members are each provided with two projections whichare adapted to cooperate with slots in one or other of said permutationbars.

12. A keyboard mechanism for telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 10in which said permutation bars are provided with slots which are soshaped that said bars are adapted to be cammed into different positionsupon the actuation of said supplementary key-lever.

RONALD GEORGE GRIFFITH.

